Blacklisted Chinese military-linked university bought Nvidia H200 chips – Report

A report by news agency Reuters has revealed that a blacklisted Chinese university with close ties to the country’s military has purchased some of Nvidia’s most powerful artificial intelligence chips.Northwestern Polytechnical University bought two Nvidia H200 processors for 874,700 yuan ($123,000) last month, according to procurement records. The purchase was made through a Chinese technology supplier rather than directly from the US chipmaker.The university also secured access to computing systems powered by H200 processors and other restricted Nvidia chips through a series of rental contracts with Chinese companies, the records show.The findings highlight the limits of Washington’s efforts to prevent China from accessing advanced computing technology, particularly as universities and research institutions increasingly rely on domestic intermediaries to obtain chips or rent computing capacity.The H200 is among Nvidia’s most powerful processors for training and running advanced AI systems. Exports to China require US government approval, with licences generally denied for institutions on the country’s Entity List, including Northwestern Polytechnical.

Military-linked university among buyers

Northwestern Polytechnical conducts research in areas including military aircraft, missiles and satellites. It is part of the ‘Seven Sons of National Defense’, a group of Chinese universities known for defence-related research and links to the country’s military-industrial sector.The US Commerce Department placed the university on its Entity List in 2001 over alleged involvement in missile proliferation and military research. Restrictions were tightened in 2019, making licences for exports of controlled American technology to the institution subject to a policy of denial in most circumstances.Despite those restrictions, procurement records show that the university’s management school purchased the two H200 processors from Shaanxi Bosuan Network Technology on October 21.Its cybersecurity school also awarded two seven-month contracts in January for access to servers containing eight H200 chips each.The university additionally rented access to servers equipped with eight Nvidia A100 processors and eight A800 chips. Both models are restricted from export to Chinese entities, although the H200 is the most advanced processor identified in the university’s procurement records.In another purchase, a university institute acquired computing services requiring at least 24 A100 chips in April for structural and fluid-dynamics simulations.

Restrictions face enforcement challenges

The purchases highlight the limits of Washington’s efforts to restrict China’s access to advanced AI chips. A Reuters review of 26 Chinese procurement and corporate records found that universities and research institutions had bought restricted Nvidia processors or rented computing capacity powered by them through domestic suppliers. Several had links to China’s defence industry.Among them, Shenzhen University bought three H100 chips for 769,800 yuan in September, while Wuhan University of Technology purchased an H100-equipped server and four A100 processors. Beihang University, part of the Seven Sons of National Defense, bought four A800 chips for 489,000 yuan. Other records showed Chinese Academy of Sciences institutions securing access to restricted H800 and A800 computing services.The findings come as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang faces mounting scrutiny in Washington over his lobbying for looser export controls on chip sales to China. The controversy has intensified following reports that Huang was targeted by a Chinese intelligence operation, prompting Nvidia to launch an investigation. Three Republican congressional committee chairmen have requested a briefing with Huang on November 18 over his reported contacts with an alleged Chinese intelligence operative.